Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. New footage released by the Port of Seattle shows Mr Russell who worked as a baggage handler at the airport preparing the plane for takeoff. NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, stole an airplane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Investigators work to determine how a man was able to pilot a stolen plane. NBC News Digital features NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, TODAY.com, Nightly News, Meet the Press, Dateline, and the existing apps and digital extensions of these respective properties. August 22, 1979. . An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. As a flight controller tried to persuade him to land, he wondered aloud about whether he had enough fuel to make it to the Olympics, talked of the beautiful view, and said he had a lot of people who cared about him, apologizing for what he was doing. Horizon's parent company, Alaska Airlines, refused to comment on claims of workers being overworked or underpaid. A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. With its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The jets were not involved in the crash, it said. A Warner Bros. SEATTLE -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. It's unclear exactly what Mr Russell is doing during this time, but he eventually takes control of a pushback tug and readies the Alaska Air plane for takeoff. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. Newly-obtained surveillance video from 2018 shows how Richard Russell, then a Horizon Ground service agent with no pilot experience, successfully stole the plane before crashing to his. A blog that appeared to belong to Russell as part of a multimedia content creation class at Washington State University focused on his job on a ground service agent. The job of a ground service agent includes directing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, handling baggage and tidying and de-icing planes, authorities said. Weve got the Weekend Ticket Takeover! Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and was killed when. New video of 2018 Horizon Air plane heist at Sea-Tac | king5.com "A couple of the turns, it looked like what we call in basic flight training a 'coordinated turn,' meaning that he not only used the yoke but you also coordinate with the rudders and you do the turns. Security footage shows man stealing plane he later crashed into a They said it's clear Russell didn't intend to harm anyone, and "he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him. All Rights Reserved. Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! Airports nationwide will now look at whether their security procedures need to change, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said. F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. Richard "Beebo" Russell (Screenshot from YouTube via AP) SEATTLE - The Horizon Air baggage handler who stole a commercial airplane from Sea-Tac Airport and took it for a 73-minute joy ride . Investigators "did not identify any information that would suggest the theft of the aircraft was related to wider criminal activity or terrorist ideology," according to a summary of the FBI report. Man who took Horizon Air plane from Sea-Tac Airport was quiet, well video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. He complimented the controller: "You are very calm, collect, poised," he said. As the FBI investigation wrapped up earlier this week, West Pierce Fire and Rescue released some of the first footage from the scene through public disclosure. Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane before fatal "Congratulations. July 4, 1986. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. That includes both domestic and international flights. "Our hearts are with the families of the individual aboard as well as all of our Alaska Air and Horizon Air employees," said Constance von Muehlen, the airline's chief operating officer. The plane was a Q400, a Bombardier turboprop plane, one of about 40 the airline has in its fleet. During an exchange with air traffic controllers, Russell mentioned he had some experience using flight simulator software. "The FBI is going to be thorough, which means taking the time needed to scour the area, delve into the background of the individual believed responsible for Friday night's incident, and review every aspect with all appropriate public and private partners," the FBI's Seattle office tweeted Saturday afternoon. So many bags," he said. He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. It wasn't immediately clear what training, if any, Russell had in flying planes. New Footage Shows Moments Before Seattle Man Crashed Plane in - YouTube Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. They say says this is a complete shock. "Although investigators received information regarding Russells background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russells actions.". The plane eventually crashed on sparsely populated Ketron Island, starting a fire in the woods but injuring no one outside the plane. Russell flew the plane for over an hour before crashing. A 777 Nearly Plunged Into the Ocean After Takeoff, In audio recordings released over the internet, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Win Tickets to KISS at Climate Pledge Arena on November 6, 2023. Newly-released videos from the Port of Seattle show the moments leading up to an airport worker crashing a stolen airplane nearly four years ago. [deleted] 5 yr. ago. Richard Russell Posted a Video on YouTube About Being a Baggage Handler Play VideoVideo related to richard russell, 'rich': 5 fast facts you need to know 2018-08-11T15:04:15-04:00 In a. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. There were no passengers aboard. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and was killed when he crashed 25 miles away. "I never thought I would work as a Ground Service Agent (GSA) for an Airlines company," he wrote in a blog post in September 2017. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Newly released CCTV footage shows airport employee Richard Russell stealing an Alaska Airlines plane before fatally crashing it into a Washington island, the New York Post reports . When Rolling Stone published its article last year, no major regulatory or security changes had been implemented in response to Russells deadly flight. Investigators headed Saturday to the crash site to recover the plane's data recorders and Russell's remains as part of a criminal probe, authorities said. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. Each Thursday Ticket Takeover we giveaway prizes all day for different concerts, events, and more! Jason Silverstein contributed to this report. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. Newly released CCTV footage shows airport employee Richard Russell stealing an Alaska Airlines plane before fatally crashing it into a Washington island, the New York Post reports. August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM Please enter valid email address to continue. The Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the . In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport grounds and photos from his many trips. Air traffic control became suspicious of Mr Russell after he cut in the line for takeoff. Indeed, in transcripts of his conversation with air-traffic control as he zig-zags the stolen plane through the airspace above the 15th-largest city in the U.S. (some of which can be heard in the video above), Russells demeanor goes from awestruck, to giddy, to fearful, to guilty, as he seems to process in real-time the weight of what hes done, and the unlikelihood that hell survive. Foote was an experienced glider pilot and had undergone 100 hours of simulator flying in the Skyhawk and had hoped to become a military pilot before his ambitions were derailed by health issues. The Sky Thief Richard Russell Plane Crash Video Gone Viral: What The newly published video, coupled with Rolling Stones detailed reconstruction of the events of August 10, 2018, paint the picture of a cheerful, gregarious fellow. He said his actions were "going to disappoint" the people who cared for him, and described himself as "just a broken guy" with "a few screws loose, I guess.". They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. The whole saga took place late on a Friday night in the west-coast time zone; by Monday morning, the constant news churn of the middle years of the Trump presidency seemed to have pushed any follow-up coverage of the Horizon Air crash out of the headlines.